Features

Murray Joins WhatHouse.co.uk

PUBLISHED

17:14 1st July 2013

Ambassador for main club sponsor

Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeping legend Matt Murray has been appointed WhatHouse.co.uk ambassador, as the specialist new homes portal starts its first season as the main sponsor and partner of the famous Midlands football club.

Murray played for Wolves from the age of nine, working his way up to the first team, but at 29 the latest in a series of injuries forced the goalkeeper to retire from the game.

An England U21 international, Murray was on the verge of full England honours and was tipped to become one of the great international goalkeepers.

Murray, who was born in the Midlands, is well connected throughout football and business. His best friend is the Republic of Ireland captain, record cap holder and goal scorer Robbie Keane and other teammates from his Wolves playing days include Paul Ince and Joleon Lescott.

Murray, married with three daughters, is also a great advocate of brand new homes. "I have always lived in new houses, including Westbury and Crosby, and know several players who have bought from Banner. If I was moving to London I'd definitely be interested in this property," said Murray, speaking from the show apartment at The Orchard development by Mount Anvil in Clerkenwell, East London.

"Footballers like to buy new homes as many move around and like to move in with everything in place.

"I am delighted and honoured to become the WhatHouse ambassador and love the website with its mix of listings, daily news and digital magazine and the fact that it is purely about new homes and not diluted by the second-hand market."

Murray, 32, said it was great for Wolverhampton Wanderers, despite the disappointment of successive relegations from the Premier League to League One, to have WhatHouse as the sponsor, moving from the back of the shirt last season to the front, with its branding now dominating Molineux.

Wolves was the greatest side in the land in the 1950s in the days of Billy Wright and Stan Cullis and victory over Hungarian giants Honved saw them unofficially crowned ‘champions of the world' in a game that led to the formation of what is now the Champions League.

"There is so much history at the club and hopefully with a new head coach in Kenny Jackett and a new main sponsor in WhatHouse.co.uk we will see Wolves return to the top of the English game," said Murray.

The 6ft 6in goalkeeper has a big and popular profile in the game and beyond. He is currently taking his coaching badges with a long-term ambition to move into management and is a regular football pundit on Sky Sports.

Murray will also be writing a regular column for the Express & Star, the country's biggest-selling regional daily newspaper, in association with WhatHouse.co.uk.

The highlight of Murray's injury-hit career was a man-of-the-match performance in the Championship play-off final at the Millennium Stadium against Sheffield United in 2003 and saving a penalty to take Wolves back into the Premier League.

Murray will be blogging for WhatHouse.co.uk as well as interacting with supporters, website visitors and businesses with competitions to win tickets, Molineux hospitality and signed shirts and footballs, as the innovative website continues to raise its profile significantly in the Midlands and beyond on the back of this highly successful sponsorship deal.

WhatHouse.co.uk will be running some dedicated Wolves pages during the season, with plenty of competition prizes. So watch this space!